1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network device with an Internet protocol (IP) address, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for identifying a network device corresponding to an IP address that identifies the network device on a network, and a method and apparatus for allocating an IP address to a network device.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates network devices, such as a DVD player 12, a refrigerator 14, a personal computer 16, a television (TV) 18, and a printer 20, which are connected to a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server 22 over the Internet. The DVD player 12, the refrigerator 14, the personal computer 16, the TV 18, and the printer 20 connected to a hub 10 are given their own Internet protocol (IP) addresses.
An IP address is a bit stream of typically 32 bits that allows a transmitter and a transmission line to be identified during communications according to a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). In general, the IP address is expressed with four decimal numbers, each representing 8 bits, separated by periods. The IP address is classified into a network address and the address of a computer connected to a network.
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a next-generation protocol designed to replace Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) of 32 bits. The IPv6 protocol provides a much larger global address space, which is 128 bits, than its predecessor, referred to as IPv4, thus improving the scalability of a communication network. The IPv6 protocol is also referred to as Internet Protocol next generation (IPng). The IPv6 protocol improves the scalability of a communication network for connection of various types of electronic devices, such as DVD players 12, refrigerators 14, personal computers 16, TVs 18, and printers 20 of FIG. 1, to the Internet.
According to IPv6, IP addresses are allocated to network devices using stateless auto-configuration or stateful auto-configuration so that they can be connected to the Internet.
In stateless auto-configuration, a network device creates its own IP address. In this case, the IP address starts with “FE80” or information received from a router as a default, followed by a media access control (MAC) address of the network device. A MAC address indicates a physical address of network device on the Ethernet. In general, a MAC address is 48 bits long and recorded on a ROM of a network interface card (NIC) of a local area network (LAN), installed in a personal computer or a LAN device. A name and address of the transmitter are included in a header of a data frame of the MAC address. For instance, when the MAC address is “00:50:DA:89:D8:FC”, the IPv6 address created according to stateless auto-configuration is “fe80::250:daff:fe89:d8fc”.
In stateful auto-configuration, an IP address is allocated from a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server. Referring to FIG. 1, configuration information required to perform the TCP/IP communication is automatically allocated to a related network device and managed by the DHCP server 22. In the stateful auto-configuration, a network device requests the DHCP server 22 to allocate an IP address to it. Then, the DHCP server 22 checks the MAC address of the network device, and provides the network device with an IP address predetermined by a network manager. Next, the network device sets the allocated IP address as its IP address.
However, since an IP address of IPv6 is expressed with 128 bits, it is not easy for a user to memorize the IP address allocated to a network applicant that the user desires to use that has been converted from an IP address of IPv4. Also, when a network device that a network applicant desires to use does not use a protocol such as a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) that allows detection of network devices, the user experiences difficulties detecting the network device.
Accordingly, it is impossible to determine the type of a network device only using an IP address allocated to the network device.